Michael Owen picks his all-time Champions League XI

Michael Owen has selected his all-time Champions League XI while chatting with his former Manchester United and England teammate Rio Ferdinand.

Owen was asked to choose his dream XI for BT Sport’s UCL Immortals series.

The retired striker-turned-pundit’s team is a strong one but there are a few selections that might raise one or two eyebrows. The first player he selected has never even managed to win the Champions League, for example.

There was also no place for Virgil van Dijk, who Owen described as the “best centre-back of all time” ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final second leg clash against Villarreal on Tuesday night.

The talismanic Dutch defender was not one of the players shortlisted by BT Sport.

Here’s Michael Owen’s all-time Champions League XI:

Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon

“I’m going controversial straight away! Not much pedigree in terms of winning the Champions League but, on pure ability, Buffon.

“I played with [Iker] Casillas and [Edwin] van der Sar. Between them two, I was way more impressed with Van der Sar. You have a view of every player before you get to play with them, then you get to train with them every day and [my opinion] certainly went up with Van der Sar.

“Casillas, if I’m honest, didn’t wow me in training. But in games, which is obviously the most important thing, he did the business throughout his career.

“But I think Buffon, for pure ability, was the best of the lot of them.”

Right-back: Cafu

“Growing up and watching him play, he almost redefined the right-back spot. You got tired watching him, he did so much running! He was just incredible.”

Left-back: Roberto Carlos

“He’s the best left-back I played with. He could defend, he could attack, he had loads of energy, good passer of